Most critics panned "The Da Vinci Code" on Wednesday ahead of the world
premiere of the year's most eagerly awaited movie.
U.S. actor Tom Hanks
gestures on the red carpet before the world premiere of U.S. director Ron
Howard's out of competition film 'The Da Vinci Code' at the 59th Cannes
Film Festival May 17, 2006. [Reuters] |
Kicking off the annual Cannes film festival, Ron Howard's adaptation of the
Dan Brown bestseller was described variously as "grim," "unwieldy" and
"plodding," though one reviewer bucked the trend and said "You'll Louvre It!"
The cool reception was temporarily forgotten at a glitzy opening ceremony,
where screen legend Sidney Poitier and Bollywood star Aishwarya Rai joined Da
Vinci Code star Tom Hanks and the normally publicity-shy Brown on the red
carpet.
Even before its general release on May 18 and 19, The Da Vinci Code generated
controversy as Christians around the world called for it to be banned.
The novel has enraged religious groups because one of its characters argues
that Jesus Christ married Mary Magdalene and had a child by her, and that
elements within the Catholic Church resorted to murder to hide the truth.
In Thailand on Wednesday, a police-run censorship board overturned an earlier
decision to cut the last 10 minutes of the film, but insisted the distributor
add disclaimers stating it was fiction.
In Ireland, volunteers plan to distribute free copies of a special edition of
The Irish Catholic newspaper outside cinemas showing The Da Vinci Code over the
weekend.
A Vatican cardinal has called for a boycott of the picture, and the Indian
government said it would show the movie to Christian groups before clearing its
release. In the mainly Catholic Philippines censors gave it an "adult only"
rating.
Howard and Hanks defended the film at a news conference, saying it was a
piece of fiction. British actor Alfred Molina, who plays a Machiavellian bishop
in the movie, blamed the media for creating controversy where there was little
or none.
At a screening late on Tuesday in Cannes, members of the audience laughed at
the thriller's pivotal moment, and the end of the $125 million picture was
greeted with stony silence.
Trade publication Variety had barely a nice word to say.
